


Meeting with the Devil

by niknak21



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28290981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niknak21/pseuds/niknak21
Summary: Based on Rwby volume 8 episode7 (spoiler if you haven't seen the beginning to volume 8 yet)When on a rescue mission with no time to lose, Yang volunteers to go into the belly of the beast, will she make it out in time or will Salem make an example of her.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

I fired myself off the aircraft, into the waiting arms of the Grimm, half expecting to be pulled back into the airship. The creatures of Grimm were swarming towards the Atlas soldiers, who looked like they would rather be anywhere but here. I could see it, their fear and doubt in their body language as soon as my feet hit the ground running. I can't blame the army for feeling that way; no matter how much training these men and women had, nothing could prepare them against Salem's forces. God, I knew about Salem's plan, and I could never imagine this. But with the negative energy these people were giving off, it would only drive the Grimm forward. 

The sound of metal clashing together caught my attention. Turning my head towards the noise, I saw a blonde knight, his weapon and shield at the ready for any sudden attacks as he kept up with my pace. My lips twitched at the sight of him. Jaune had come a long way from his early days at Beacon; he wasn't the same boy who held on to the tail of a Death Stalker for dear life back at Emerald forest. Watching him fight was like night and day; at one point, I was convinced he would get himself killed, but now, I'm glad he is on our side. 

Jaune's movements reminded me a lot like his old partner, Pyrrha. Confident but patient, timing his attack perfectly to finish the Grimm in one swift blow. Pyrrha was always able to see the potential in everybody. If Pyrrha were here today, I could imagine her smiling at the boy before praising him. The thought of the spartan still brought up a painful tightness in my chest, a bitter reminder that she should be here with us, not on the battlefield but back at Beacon, where we should have still been free to act like kids for a few more years, but instead, we were thrown into this war.

I turned my attention back to the matter at hand and why we were here, shaking my head to get rid of any unwanted thoughts. A Beowulf drew closer to me, its claw coming down to strike. I pulled up my arms to my face to block the oncoming blow. However, Before the Beowulf had the smallest chance to put a scratch on me, a figure dressed in green jumped over my head, bringing his Blades down, piercing the Grimms skull armor. As soon as the Grimm disappeared in black dust, the dark-haired boy turned to meet my eyes, given a quick nod of acknowledgment. 

"I could have taken it," I said smugly, trying to sound braver than what I was. But the truth is, I'm terrified; the tremor in my left hand is proof of that. The idea that this could be the day that we come face to face with the closest thing to the devil that we have ever known, it scared me past the point that I thought it was even possible. And the worst thing about this whole situation is, I never got a chance to tell Blake how I felt or apologize to Ruby or say goodbye to Weiss. If anything happens to me here, they won't forgive me, and rightfully so. I could have at least made my last words to them something comforting, but instead, my pride got in my way.

"I do not doubt that, but it was easier to take it out quickly. "Ren's voice was dry and flat, trying to show as little emotion as possible. I guess I'm not the only one putting on an act, trying to convince ourselves that everything would be fine and we could handle this. 

"Fair enough, I'm just glad to see that you have finally come to your senses. For a moment there, I thought you were going to agree with the Ace ops. After all, they are real huntsmen." I couldn't help remind the boy about his recent behavior towards us. The boy's pink eyes looked away, a hint of shame behind them. I know Ren only acted that way because he was stressed, we were in a difficult position, and Grimm had just kidnapped Oscar. But the guy was never an easy person to read, and despite spending a lot of time with him, I don't think I ever really trusted him. Ever since we became wanted criminals, I always kept my eye on Ren. I thought he would go running to Ironwood and turn us in. I bit down on my tongue, angry at myself for not having faith in Ren the way I should have, but he didn't help himself, especially recently.

"Jaune, What's the plan?" Ren shook off my comment, shooting the Grimm as we were running towards them. 

"Yeah, if we continue doing it this way, I'm going to be running out of shells. And not to mention if we stay here to fight, we'll be too exhausted to do anything when we get inside that thing," I shouted over the roar of the beast that attempted to slash its claws into my stomach. My robot fist rammed into the belly of a general Ursea, firing an explosive shell to prove a point.

"Ren, can you mask us, through all the Grimm," Jaune shouted over to his teammate, bringing up his shield to deflect the paw of an Ursa. I held my breath, waiting to hear Ren's response, keeping my guard up at all times.

"I need you to hold them back from me, for just a second." He grunted, pushing off a Boawolf to land behind us. I took the place of the boy, not given the creature a chance to recover. I gave it an uppercut to the chin, forcing the beast to stumble back, allowing Jaune to cut its head clean off. We prepared for another Grimm attack; however, it did not come; instead, they just ignored us, rampaging past like we were never there. I let out a heavy breath, not realizing I had been holding it. Ren's semblance had always amazed me. Unlike my own, His is subtle and something that doesn't draw the eye but never the less can still be very useful against the Grimm.

"Come on," Ren stated as he ran past us, Jaune and I locked eyes before nodding our heads in agreement, moving after the dark-haired boy.

"What's the plan to get past the black lake? We don't even know what it will do to us if it touches our skin." I asked, slightly out of breath, as we drove closer to the open mouth of the Monstra. My heart raised as we approached the massive Grimm. I had never seen a Grimm that big before.

"You're right, and we can't even get close to its mouth even if we wanted to." I could see Jaune's eyebrows scrunching up, deep in thought. "Wait, what is that?" We all stopped and looked at the group's temporary leader before following his line of sight. Hovering just above the fin of the massive beast was an aircraft. 

"Is that one of Atlas's?" Ren asked curiously. I squinted, trying to get a good look at the passengers. The first thing I could make out was gray hair. When the passenger finally took a look out the window at the destruction. My eyes widened, recognizing him straight away.

"Mercury," I growled out through gritted teeth. I could feel my temper start to rise at the image of him, giving me a cocky smile, back when we fought each other at the Vytal Festival. The day my world was turned upside down.

"That's great." Jaune's voice was filled with relief. That definitely wasn't the response that I was expecting. 

"What, how does seeing that low life give you that response?." I snapped, my semblance flaring up. And by his reaction, I could tell that scarlet eyes were glaring at his blue.

"No, Yang, that's not what I meant." I tilted my head in a way that demanded him to explain. "What I'm saying is, if the airship came from the top of it, it means there's a landing pad. So there has to be another entrance up there." He pointed, and I moved my head in that direction. Finally, the realization hit me. "If we can get up there, we won't need to take our chance with the lake."

"How do you suggest we do that?" Ren spoke up. "it's not exactly an easy climb. And we don't exactly have time on our side." I looked up, and I have to admit he was right. Ren and I could probably make it up, but Jaune didn't have a weapon that could allow him to climb. If we don't do something quick, we won't be able to save ourselves, never mind, Oscar. I took a deep breath preparing myself for what I was about to do, knowing there was no other way.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I have my own way of getting up to the top." I swung my arms to my side, forcing the empty shells out of my gauntlet and replacing them with new ones.

"Yang, you can't just go running off. If you wait, we can develop a plan where we all can get to the top simultaneously. It's too dangerous for you to go alone." Jaune stood in front of me, blocking my path.

"He's right, Yang. If you run into trouble, we won't be there to help you." Ren said, trying to make me see reason.

"There's no time for that. You heard winter if we aren't off that thing when they pick up that bomb, they won't think twice to use it. With is in it or not." I raised my voice, frustration building as the time ticked away. "Look, it will be quicker for me to go up, so when we meet up, I might have a better idea where Oscar is.

"She right, Jaune; we don't have time to mess around." My lilac eyes landed on his pink, I could tell he didn't like the plan, but Ren knew it only made sense.

"Fine, but if you're in the slightest bit of trouble, you get out of there as fast as you can. We meet up with you as soon as we can." I nodded my head in understanding.

"Relax, I'll be fine." I stretched my arms out before I turned to Jaune again. "Fancy giving me a hand." Jaune let out a sigh before crouching down and placing his shield above his head. "See you on the other side." Ren just nodded at me as I ran toward the night, jumping on top of the shield. Jaune pushed upwards with all his might propelling me up in the air. When I felt myself falling, I aimed my Gauntlets to the ground and started shooting myself upwards. 

"Relax, I'll be fine." I stretched my arms out before I turned to Jaune again. "Fancy giving me a hand." Jaune let out a sigh before crouching down and placing his shield above his head. "See you on the other side." Ren just nodded at me as I ran toward the knight, jumping on top of the shield. Jaune pushed upwards with all his might propelling me up in the air. When I felt myself falling, I aimed my Gauntlets to the ground and started shooting myself upwards. 

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Hi, guy's, I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think. I don't usually do stories in 1st person. Have a good holiday, and stay safe.


	2. Chapter 2

After I launched myself up at least 20 feet off the ground, I was able to get close enough to the Grimm to grab onto the armored plates around the side of its body. I could feel the rough edges of its protected skin bore into my left hand, cutting through my orange glove along with my skin, staining the material red, and making gripping impossible; this caused me to slip a few times. Despite how difficult it was to climb, I knew if I continued using my shotgun shells, I would most likely run out before I even enter the belly of the beast.

I tilted my head up towards the sky, hoping I didn't have much further to go, and whether it was luck or not, I could see I was close to the top. Of course, it meant I had reached my destination the reason I was there, but it also meant I was closer to my death, and I hated myself for going straight to that outcome, but if I was honest with myself, my track record for the direct approach isn't the greatest. My eyes travel to my right hand, and I felt nausea creeping in. Swallowing the lump in the back of my throat, I reached upwards one last time to pull myself up. Before I fully reached the top, I poked my head up to make sure it was safe to go any further, and to my relief, no one was around. I quickly pulled myself up, my eyes located the entrance, and to my surprise, the door was wide open. They definitely didn't see us as a threat if they felt safe enough to keep the entrance open.

I turned to face the battle that was happening below, my breath catching in my throat as I could see the devastating scale of this invasion. No wonder they didn't see us as a threat; the Grimm outnumbered the Attlis soldiers by a long shot. The attack on Beacon could not compare to this. I wondered if these men knew that they would most likely not be returning home to their families. My fist clenched at a memory of my uncle sitting down and telling Ruby and me that our mum had died in the line of duty, that news had destroyed our family for a long time. How many other kids would have to get used to that reality when this was all done.

I could feel the anger start to rise in my chest. There was no need for this; so many innocent lives were going to be lost. And all for what? Somebody who couldn't accept what life handed her, how many people had died for the sake of this woman. Without another thought, I loaded my gauntlets, getting into a defensive stance, as I casually made my way through the entrance.

My mouth fell open as I looked around; the walls were bright red, the Grimm's bones were being used as load-bearing pillars. It was like walking down a hallway in any building, with lights attached to this Grimm's internal skin. I didn't know what to expect when I entered, but it was anything other than this. I took a deep breath before I got the courage to walk down the halls. Straining my ears, trying to listen for something that didn't belong here, but so far, nothing, other than the sound of my boots.

After walking for what seemed like forever, I came to a fork in the wall. "What now," I said, letting out a frustrated breath. My eyes darted to the options I had in front of me. If I chose wrong, it wouldn't just be Oscar that I was failing but Jaune and Ren, let's not mention everybody fighting for their lives out there. "What did I expect, that I could stroll right in here and find Oscar without any issues." I scrunched up my eyebrows, sweat forming on my forehead as I weighed up the little option I had.

"It's not a smart idea to be sitting out in the open like this blondie." I gasped, feeling a barrow of a gun being pressed to the back of my head as a woman's voice continued to speak. "I thought you had gotten smarter since your time at Beacon." I couldn't stop the growled that escaped from my lips as this woman continued to taunt me. "I guess I was wrong." I didn't need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to. I clenched my jaw together, trying to keep my emotions under control.

"Yeah, well, Emerald, there aren't many places to hide if you haven't noticed." I snapped. Slowly I started to bend my gauntlet behind me, making it look like my hands hadn't left my side. If I angled it at just the right spot, I could blow the green-haired woman off her feet. I stopped when I heard the safety of the woman's gun turn off.

"Do you want to test your luck?" Because where I'm standing, you've got no options left. If you somehow manage to beat me, you'll alert Salem that you've managed to sneak aboard, and I hate to think what she would do to you." My body tensed at the thought of that woman getting her hands on me. I heard the sound of my left gauntlet rattle as my hand shook. "Now give me a reason not to pull the trigger or, better yet, give me a reason not to tell Salem what I found sneaking around."

Licking my lower lip, I finally spoke up. "You know. Salem's only doing this because she wants to destroy this world. If you continue on this path, there is going to be nothing left for you. Is that what you want?" I struggled to keep my voice even. All I wanted to do was shout at the woman holding a gun to my head, but I knew I couldn't.

"Is that such a bad thing?" I felt her lower the gun slightly, given me enough space to turn my head and glare at her. "Look around you. People are only looking out for themselves; for example, Ironwood. The man just abandoned half his country to save those snobby bastards, most of whom have no idea what's it like to barely get by." I felt the anger radiate off Emerald as she spoke; she wasn't caring that she was now shouting; I could only hope no one could hear her. "Would it be so bad if humanity was wiped out? I mean, look at you, you've given up everything, and for what, to lose your arm, to be labeled as a traitor. It wasn't Grimm who did that to you; it was humanity. How can you tell me we're a race worth saving."

I let out a small chuckle and could tell that it startled her. "You're right, and maybe we aren't worth saving. I know that better than anyone. I've learned that since I was a child. But I also know I've got many memories that outweigh the bad ones. I know when this is over, I have people waiting for me. And maybe the world isn't worth saving, but they sure are." Emerald was taken by surprise as I turned my body to face her. "I know you don't want it to go the way Salem has planned. I can see you want out of this situation." In one quick movement, I felt the butt of Emrald's gun slam into my cheek, causing me to stumble back. I dug my nails into my skin, trying to restrain my now active semblance.

"You don't know anything about me." Emerald raised her arm once again. "I'm on the winning team for a reason."

"No, you're right. I don't. But I know if you agreed with Salem, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You would have alerted her by now. To my astonishment, the facade finally dropped.

"There's nothing else we can do. If we go against Salem, we'll die." The green-haired woman let out a shaky breath.

"But if we don't do anything, we'll die anyway. At least we can say we went out fighting." I tried to show the green-haired woman reason, now that I was able to get a good look at the woman, I could tell that she was just as scared as the rest of us. Letting out a heavy sigh, she lowered her weapon.

"What is your plan." Emerald folded her arms. "Please let it be a good one." I looked away from her green eyes that bore into my own.

"I don't have one," I said, realizing how stupid it was for me to come in without at least some sort of plan. Moments like these made me question if I ever learn from my first encounter with Adam.

"Are you serious?" Emerald looked at me with disbelief. "What kind of person comes in here without some sort of plan? I might as well contact Salem now. At least I haven't done anything to get myself killed yet."

"Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, but if we can find Oscar, I promise I'll find a way out for all of us." Emerald bit her lip as she considered what I had to say. 

"And what if Salem finds us before we can escape." She asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"If that happens, I'll stall her as long as I can. So you and Oscar can get away." I said without missing a beat, putting resolution in my voice so she would believe the words I was saying.

"You don't stand a chance against her. Why would you put yourself at risk." I gave her a stern look before answering.

  
"As long as you keep your word, if things go south, you stay behind so that I can get out." Emerald stuck out her hand for me to shake. I took her arm firmly, nodding at the same time. "Come on. The farmboy's this way." She ran past me, bumping into my shoulder as she ran into the right hallway.

I followed right behind her, keeping my eyes on the green-haired woman. Knowing she wasn't the most trustworthy person in the world, she might have me trapped in her semblance for all I know. But what other option did I have? Before I could continue that thought, I felt a hand roughly push me into the wall. " What the he..." Emerald cut me off. Placing her hand over my mouth, pointing over her shoulder. Floating right past us was a Seer. I could only guess why the Grimm didn't react, was because Emerald's semblance was active. After the Grimm had left, she removed her hand.

"Thanks," I said, genuinely, knowing that my former enemy had just saved me from being discovered.

"Don't mention it." She said, quickly brushing me off. "He should be through this door." She pointed to the door ahead of us. "Come on." I followed her as she pushed open the door. In the middle of the floor was a young boy, badly beaten, without a second thought I ran to him, Emerald followed me into the room.

"Oscar." I could hear the panic in my own voice. I placed my hand on his neck, trying to find a pulse.

"Don't worry; he's not dead...yet, after all, he's still useful." My head spun in the direction of the door as it slammed. Emerald slowly walked backward, her eyes wide with fear, the green-haired woman was shaking. I couldn't blame her. Salem was even more terrifying in person than I expected. Her aura was just pure evil. It was sickening. "But, I can't say the same about you."

  
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Sorry it took a while but let me know what you think. thanks and stay safe.


	3. Chapter 3

I couldn't blame Emerald for her reaction to the witch. Salem was even more terrifying in person than I expected. Her aura was just undiluted evil; It was sickening just being in the presence of it. "But, I can't say the same about you." The pale woman growled.

Salem's eyes captured my own as she glanced my way. At that moment, I could see what I could only describe as sinister; this woman was no longer human anymore; she was too far gone. I stiffened up, frozen in fear as I expected her to kill me where I stood. However, her eyes finally left mine. I wasn't sure if it was a relief. I was feeling or disappointed that she didn't just kill me. I didn't want to know what this woman was capable of, and when I took a glance at the battered body of Oscar, I knew I didn't want to end up like that. 

"Now, what am I going to do with you, Emerald?" The older woman put her hands behind her back, speaking with mock disappointment in her voice and stepping closer to the green-haired girl, who mirrored the woman's movements by stepping back. 

"I...I can explain...I." Emerald stuttered, struggling to find the words that could possibly save her life. Dark red eyes were darting around the room, trying to find an escape from this prison.

"I don't think I can continue ignoring your behavior. I allowed Hazle to take the blame for your incompetents back in Haven. I even allowed you to stay here when your beloved Cinder disappeared, despite your growing doubt about our cause. But this, this is unforgivable." My breath caught in my throat as I watched the full scene unravel.

"You're crazy." Emrald's shaking voice shouted. "I don't want to destroy this world. I never signed up for that. It wasn't what you promised me." The younger woman threw her hands in the air in desperation as she accused the witch of lying to her. Salem stopped in her tracks, a smirk replacing her unreadable expression.

"You don't think I'm living up to my end of the bargain?" Salem put her arm under her elbow before scratching her pale white chin. "I promised you that I would end your suffering. I don't believe that It's my fault that you misunderstood my words. You all knew what you were getting in too." The pale-faced woman chuckled at the younger woman.

"Cinder would never agree to this if she knew what you were planing." Emrald's words earned another chuckle from the older woman.

"Are you sure?" Emerald looked like she wanted to say something but closed her mouth; I could only guess that she really wasn't sure about the answer. "Cinder is precisely like me. If she could achieve her goal, she would destroy the world herself."

"You're wrong." Emerald's voice came out as a whisper. "She would never sink this low; she's nothing like you." The green-haired girl shouted at the top of her voice.

"No. you don't think so? Where is she right now? She's out hunting down that girl with the silver-eyes." When I heard Salem describe my younger sister, I remembered why I was there. "If Cinder thought it would hurt that girl, she would be the one who insisted this plan to go through." Salem tilted her head, staring down at Emerald. "I don't know why you care so much; she won't miss you when you're gone." Salem lifted her left hand, a sphere of darkness appearing out of nowhere, aimed directly at Emerald's chest. 

My body reacted on its own, and I flung out my right arm, shooting a shotgun shell at the woman just as she was about to fire a shot of her own. My bullet hit her, knocking her aim off track and throwing her to the floor. Emerald looked at me with wide eyes, surprised at my actions.

"I told you, I would do everything in my power to get you out of here with Oscar." I then turned my attention back to the woman who was pushing herself up off the floor. "And if what you say about Cinder is true, my sister will stop her like she is going to stop you." I got into a fighting stance, summoning all the courage I could muster. The woman let out a light-hearted laugh. I had already grown to hate how the way this woman chose to mock her victims.

"Do you actually think your sister will be able to beat me?" Salem brushed off the dust from her clothes, turning towards me, she waved her hand over the wall, and the Grimm's skin opened to reveal the battle that was taking place outside. "Take a look; you've seen what I can do. Do you honestly believe that little girl can stop me?" I licked my lower lip, swallowing hard.

"Yeah, I've seen what you can do, but I've also seen what my sister is capable of, And if anyone is going to beat you, it will be her." I could see Emerald's body tense in the corner of my eye, and I could tell she thought I was crazy talking back to Salem, And I couldn't agree more with her at this moment. 

You have more faith in your sister than what your mother had in Summer." The mention of my mother threw me off guard, and I lowered my fist. As soon as I did this, I knew it was a mistake. Salem's hand shot out, hitting me with dark energy. I could feel an electric current running through my body, burning every cell. A scream escaped my lips, and I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard Emerald call my name. When Salem stopped her attack on me, I fell to my knees, clutching my chest, trying to catch my breath. "Shame you don't have her loyalty; it didn't take much to get her to turn on Osbin."

"What are...you talking about?" I snapped at her. With that blow, my semblance had activated. I didn't need to hear about that coward that gave birth to me. I tried to push myself to my feet but found it was taking more effort than I expected. "I already know that she ran when she found out about you, that she abanded not just her team but her family. There's nothing you can say that I don't already know." I rushed towards her, swinging my fists at her, but she easily dodged. I threw a punch with my right arm, but Salem was able to grab hold of my prosthetic arm. I tried to pull away, but she just pulled me closer. A thought ran through my head about detaching my arm to get some distance, but I knew it would leave me with too much of a handy cap to be fighting Salem with one arm, especially on my own. 

"I wonder if your father ever told you that Raven was with Summer the night Summer died." I froze. I wasn't expecting that revelation, and she must have been able to tell by the shock on my face as her smile only grew. "Maybe there is something new I can tell you." I stopped struggling in her grip.

"You're lying," I said childishly, trying to call her bluff; My voice was shaking as my teeth gritted together. The pale woman's eyes became fixed on my prosthetic, studying it.

"You know I can give you a real arm again. Cinder had a similar situation as your own, and I was able to sort that right out." I couldn't help but growl at the smug woman as she ran her finger across the metal.

"I've seen it. I'm not impressed by your work. Maybe it's because it's a Grimm you've attached to her. So I'll give it a miss this time." I threw my free hand at her, but with a flick of her wrist, Salem was able to swat my fist away before following it up with another electric current that shot through my body as her fist clashed with my stomach. I coughed violently; Salem was the only thing keeping me upright as I slumped over while she held my Prosthetic arm.

I felt her hand travel down the fabric that covered my arm until it stopped at the joining to my prosthetic. The older woman's hand was cold, oddly rough. "I insist. You might like it when you try it on." 

"What are you doing? Stop!" I said, horrified as a black sticky substance came out the palm of her hand, Wrapping itself around my bicep and prosthetic. As the black matter seeped into my arm, sparks began to fly, malfunctioning the limb. Before I could do anything, it felt painfully sharp, like I had been standing outside for hours on a cold winter's day. Whatever this stuff was, it was seeping through to my veins, bringing along with it the same pain that was biting at my skin. 

I could feel it spreading to every inch of my body, clashing with my already activated semblance. It was a strange feeling, fire colliding with ice. In theory, my semblance should be able to overpower whatever this was, but it seemed like an even playing field. My chest tightened as a piercing pain shot through me; It was agony. The best way I could describe it is like losing my arm all over again. Whatever this was, it was trying to take control. And if I was honest, I knew I was close to losing myself to it. My scream echoed through the room; I could see it spreading up my arm, morphing the limb into a black mess; I clenched my teeth, trying to stop the agonizing scream escaping from my lips.

"Stop?" Salem repeated my last word with a joyful tune. The woman stooped down to my level so she can whisper into my ear. "I'm sure Ms.Rose said that too your mother, the night she died." My eyes shot open as I slowly turned my head to lock eyes onto her own. 

"What do you mean?" I managed to speak despite the pain my body was experiencing.

"I wonder if I offered you the same deal as I offered Raven, would you still stand by that sister of yours." Before I could question her any further, a blast hit her square on her back, forcing her to drop me. I fell hard to the solid ground. Salem was forced away from me when a wave of bullets started hitting her directly after the blast. I looked up in the direction to see Oscar hanging off Emerald. His hand raised while the green-haired woman continued to shoot at the witch while supporting the young boy.

"I thought I was going to buy you some time so you could escape." I struggled to get the words out, trying to catch my breath.

"Yeah, well, she would have caught me as soon as she was done with you. I might as well go down fighting." I couldn't help but smile at Emerald's change of heart, given her a nod of appreciation for saving my life. My eyes then drifted over to Oscar. "Good to see your awake."

"I didn't have much choice. I woke when I heard your scream." The boy said, awkwardly laughing. I couldn't help but wince at the young boy'; he looked even worse now that he was standing.

"Sorry, I'll keep it down next time." I tried to return the banter, at least attempting to lift the atmosphere before what was most likely going to be our death. I stumbled to my feet, standing next to them.

"Now that was rude, Osma. I was informing this girl about the night of Ms.Rose's death. Now, where was I..." Salem said mockingly.

"Don't." My headshot in the direction of Oscar's firm response as he warned the woman, that was definitely not what I was expecting. Now that I thought about it, I wasn't even sure if this was Oscar or Ozpin, but either way, they knew something I didn't. 

"What aren't you telling me?" My eyes went back and forth between the two, but no one was staring at me. Oscar was glaring at Salem with his jaw tight shut while Salem looked like a child on Christmas day.

"She deserves to know." The woman spoke if I wasn't even in the room.

"Salem," Oscar warned, but the woman's smile only grew.

"What's going on?" I finally shouted, forcing them both to look at me. Salem cocked her head, locking her eyes with mine, and I knew whatever she had to say wouldn't be anything good.

"Your mother was the one who killed Summer Rose." The voice echoed through my head. I felt like my whole world has disappeared under my feet as I landed hard on my knees, unsure if I heard her right.  
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Hey, guys hope you like this chapter. Let me know what you think.   
And I have to admit I love the direction rooster teeth is taking RWBY in.


	4. Chapter 4

"Salem," Oscar warned, but the woman's smile only grew, ignoring the young boy.

"What's going on?" I shouted, forcing them both to finally look at me. Salem cocked her head, locking her eyes with mine, and I knew whatever she had to say wouldn't be anything good.

"Your mother was the one who killed Summer Rose." The voice echoed through my head. I felt like my whole world disappeared from under my feet as I landed hard on my knees, unable to process what she had just revealed.

"No, that's not true," I said in disbelief, shaking my head. "It can't be true; Raven's a coward. Someone like her could never kill my mom." my hands tangling in my hair.

"Oh, but she did, and she did it all by herself." Salem was taking a tremendous amount of pleasure over my pain as she revealed the agonizing truth, and I could see it in her face. 

"How did it happen." I gritted my teeth, glaring at the woman, studying every movement that would show me that she was lying.

"Should I tell her, or do you want to do the honors, Ozma?" The witch turned to the man she once knew, daring him to speak up.

"Salem," Ozpin spoke up. "Don't; there's no need for this to go any further. There's nothing to gain."

"Shut up, stop acting like I'm not even here." My headshot in Oscar's direction, my voice was harsh, but I didn't care. "If you aren't going to tell me the truth, I don't want to hear you speak," I snarled, and I could see this pleased the witch.

"Yang, maybe this isn't something you want to hear," Emerald said softly; her voice was full of fear. I knew she was right. Salem was trying to get into my head, but I needed to know the truth, so I ignored the green-haired woman.

"Very well, If you insist." Salem clicked her fingers, summoning a Grimm known as a seer. The witch eyed us with a smirk on her face, waving her hand over the globe; this movement cleared the glass of fog. I examined her, uncertain of what she was about to do."Take a look for yourself." I could see Oscar tense in the corner of my eye.

**_ Flashback _ **

In the middle of a forest hid a compound full of bandits, a group of individuals hiding away from society. Trying to escape their past for one reason or another. Within this camp stood a tent that was different from the others. For one, it was a lot bigger than the other makeshift houses, and not to mention that the fabric was made out of more reliable material.

Inside the tent sat a dark-haired woman; her Grimm mask perched next to her as her eyes studied the map of the forest they were occupying. The woman liked to examine the plan at least once a day. She did this in the event the camp needed a quick exit strategy; she would be the one who was able to provide it. 

The red-eyed woman was distracted when she felt a breeze touch her skin, signifying that someone had entered her tent. She knew it wasn't one of her men; they wouldn't be stupid enough to sneak in, knowing the consequences. The woman didn't move; she didn't want the intruder to know she was aware of their presence. Placing her hand on the hilt of her sword, she tightened her grip, waiting for the person to step closer to her.

When the person stepped within her range of reach, she spoke up, "You've made a big mistake, coming into my tent." The woman said threateningly. Finally swinging her sword at the intruder, however, instead of striking flesh, her Blade struck metal, stopping her in her tracks. The dark-haired woman's eyes widened when they fell upon her guest.

"I actually thought I was going to sneak up on you this time." A soft but cheery voice interrupted Raven's shock. Standing in front of her, a woman wearing a white cloak; her long brown hair was neatly held together in a braid. "I'll get you at some point." Her smile grew as she teased her friend. 

"Summer." The red-eyed woman breathed out before composing herself once again. She had to admit the arrival of her former teammate took her by surprise. "I can see my security is slacking. I think I'll need to make an example of this mistake." Summer rolled her eyes at the older woman.

"Try not to be too hard on them. Keep in mind not everybody was lucky enough to have the sort of training that we had." Raven shook her head at the other woman. It was just like Summer to lecture her, just like when they were back at Becan together.

"Good thing you aren't in charge of your own tribe. You wouldn't last a week out here with that attitude." Raven spoke a matter of factly, sitting back down. "You need to show these people some tough love; otherwise, they will take advantage of your weakness." Summer sat down across the table from Raven.

"You're probably right; I always think the kinder approach worked better. Plus, I'm not good with intimidating techniques; that was always you and Qrow's thing." Summer laughed, remembering their time together as a team. Raven let out a heavy sigh; she could tell that the woman in front of her had something on her mind.

"What do you want, Summer? You didn't come here for a friendly chat." Raven said dryly, her eyes catching Summer's. The silver-eyed woman dropped her smile.

"We need your help. Tai and Qrow tried to talk me out of coming here to see you. They think it's a waste of time asking you, plus I think they are still angry at you. But I don't think it's a waste of time. I know you, Raven, and I know this is all an act." The younger woman said hopefully. "I think I have an idea on how we can defeat Salem." Summer didn't miss Raven flinch at the mention of the witch's name.

"You should have listened to them, Summer. I'm not interested in what Ozpin is dragging you all in too. I have my place here. I can't leave them without a leader. I have commitments now." Summer frowned as Raven tried to brush her off.

"You always had a place with your team and your family. Let's not forget the big commitment you seem to be forgetting about. But that didn't stop you from leaving us." Summer snapped at the older woman.

"Yeah, and you jumped at the opportunity to take my place, didn't you." Raven didn't miss the hurt in Summer's eyes. "Let's be honest, Summer, things worked out better for both of us this way." She folded her arms.

"It wasn't like that, and you know it, what happened with Tai and me. I didn't mean for that to happen." Summer's voice was stern. "Plus, this isn't about any of that; this is about our kids. We have an opportunity to stop Salem, so they don't have to."

"They aren't my kids. Why should I care." Summer shot to her feet, knocking the table over. Raven didn't hide the triumphant smile, it was rare to see Summer lose her temper, but She knew how to push Summer's buttons.

"You don't mean that. Yang's your daughter, no matter how hard you try to forget that fact. And you know what, she is a great kid. She reminds me of you every day. I could never understand how you were able to just get up and leave her. How you were okay with her growing up without knowing the truth." Summer was shaking with anger.

"It's easily done. I have bigger priorities." Raven stood up, picking up the map thrown from the overturned table. Her back towards the younger woman so summer couldn't read her facial expression. Summer took a deep breath, her gentle smile returning to her face.

"That might be so, but I know you miss her." Summer spoke softly. "Why else would you visit her, now and then." Raven straightened up, taking by surprise at the comment. "Do you think I wouldn't notice because of your transformation? Raven, I would easily pick you out of a flock of birds. After all, you are my best friend." Summer's smile only grew to a genuine one, but Raven didn't make any effort to acknowledge her former teammate.

"You know we can't beat her, even with your powers." Raven's voice came out as a whisper. "When we kill her, she just keeps coming back." Summer gave her friend a sympathetic look, understanding the fear she was feeling.

"You know we can't beat her, even with your powers." Raven's voice came out as a whisper. "When we are able to kill her, she just ends up coming back. How are we meant to fight that." Summer gave her friend a sympathetic look, understanding the fear she was feeling.

"Look, Raven, I get it you're scared. We all are, but we need to do this. We might not be able to kill her, but we can stop her. You just need to trust me on this." Summer placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. "Just think about it, okay? I'll be in the forest until tomorrow. I have to clear out a nest of Grimm. If you change your mind, you know how to get me." She gave Raven's shoulder one last squeeze before exiting the tent. 

"Idiot." Raven's eyes didn't leave the tent's opening. Something in the back of her mind wanted Summer to come back just so the younger woman would convince her to go back home. Still, she knew even if Summer came back, Raven couldn't go with her.

"I couldn't agree more." Raven's breath hitched in her throat. She felt the color drain from her face. Raven knew that voice; it haunted her dreams. Taking a deep breath, she tried to keep the fear she was feeling from showing. 

"What's the point in having people watching the camp if no one can do it, right." Raven turned towards Salem, her hand once again on the hilt of her handle.

"What's the point in having people watching the camp if no one can do it, right." Raven turned towards Salem. Once again, her hand was on the hilt of her handle. This time she wasn't as confident in her ability to stop the witch, or even making it out alive.

"I wouldn't say no one was watching. It's more like they weren't fast enough to report." Salem's sadistic smile only grew when a growl escaped Raven's lips at the loss of her men. Salem walked around the room, her hands behind her back. "You've managed to make this dump look presentable." 

"What do you want, Salem?, We had a deal. You would leave me alone if I left Ozpin's cause." Raven watched the woman who was circling her.

"Yes, we did, didn't we." Salem stopped to examine Raven. "But I think we need to make some changes to that deal." 

"What kind of changes?" Raven demanded, her eyes darting from the woman to the door, trying to figure out if she would be able to escape. "I can't do any more than what I have already done."

"I want you to kill Miss Rose." Raven's mouth fell open. 

"No, I did what you asked. This fight has nothing to do with me. I can't do that; I won't do that." Raven's voice trembled. This obviously didn't impress the witch.

"That's a shame that I can't change your mind." Salem aimed her hand towards the ground, opening up a hole into the floor; it began to fill with black liquid. 

"Wha...what are you doing?" Raven stammered, taking a step back. However, she tripped over her feet, landing inches from the pool.

"If you aren't willing to help me, I don't think I have any use for you or your clan." Salem said casually, watching as the claw of a Bearwolf start to emerge from within the water. Raven's eyes widened as more started to appear. "I wonder how long it will take to wipe out the great Branwen clan." Raven's breathing started to speed up as her hands began to shake. Panic and fear were setting in.

"Okay, okay. I'll do it." She shouted at the woman towering over her, pleasing the witch. 

"Good." Salem closed the sinkhole. "Don't make me return, Raven, as I can't promise I will be pleasant next time we meet." Raven dug her hand into the dirt, tears threatening to fall as the witch disappeared in front of her.

**_ Present _ **

"Ozpin, is she telling the truth? Did Raven kill my mom?" my voice was shaking, and I couldn't look at the boy.

"Yang, I...it's..." Oscar stuttered, trying to find the words that wouldn't trigger me any further, but he was too late for that.

"Yes or no." I snapped at him, cutting the boy off. I didn't want him to change the topic or try and justify Raven's actions. I just wanted to know the truth. Oscar stayed silent, and that was all the answer I needed. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" My eyes burned from unfallen tears as my throat tightened. Oscar let out a deflated breath.

"We agreed that it would be best if you didn't know." This was the first honest thing Osbin had said to me since I came here to rescue him.

"So everybody knew that Raven killed my mom, apart from me." I felt bile seeped up my throat as I finally said the words out loud.

"Your mom?" Salem finally spoke up after watching the scene in front of her. "Summer was never your mom. You are nothing like that woman. Summer only had one child, and Raven, your birth mother, took that away from the girl." Salem tapped her cheek. "I wonder what that precious sister of yours will think when she finds out. Do you think she will want to see the daughter of the woman who took someone so precious away from her?" With that one sentence, my world fell apart.

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Hey guy's, I know this is a long one. Let me know what you think. Do you guys prefer the third-person narrator or the first?

Hope everyone is staying safe during these mad times.


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